The Yule Ball
by Slytherinchica08
Summary: Tracey Davis never thought she would be asked to the Yule Ball. She was just an unknown fourth year Slytherin, so who would want to ask her to the ball? How does the Yule Ball turn out for her and her date, Theodore Nott?


The Yule Ball was in a few days and I had given up hope on being asked to go. Really it was just a fantasy of mine to think that I would even be asked. I was Tracey Davis, the unnoticed Slytherin. I didn't have any friends at all. From time to time Pansy Parkinson would ask me what I thought of an outfit or for help on an assignment but other then that I was almost never talked to. It was difficult to live in Pansy's shadow. Since I wasn't one of the girls that followed her around, I was trapped so deep in the shadow that very few people knew my name. Now if it was first year that wouldn't be a big problem, but considering it's now my fourth year and still very few knew me it was a problem.

All the girls in my year, the years above me, and even a few below me were abuzz with talk about the Yule Ball. How should I have my hair? What do you think of my dress? I wish so-and-so would ask me. Were just some of the many questions and thoughts being talked about and for a girl who hasn't been asked to go yet I was getting rather sick of it. But even though I was sick of hearing about the ball I was still daydreaming about it. In my thoughts a handsome guy would walk up to me in front of everyone and ask me if I would accompany him to the ball. Of course I would say yes and then he would sweep me off my feet while we danced the night away. I knew that was never going to happen but a girl can dream can't she?

Currently I was sitting in the Slytherin common room waiting for dinner in an hour when someone plopped down next to me on the couch. I looked over and noticed Theodore Nott sitting there, looking straight out at the other people milling around the common room. He was a handsome boy with light brown hair and a rather gorgeous smile. I was slightly disappointed that he didn't say anything, so I turned back to my book on the table beside the couch, where I had placed it earlier.Turning a few pages, I found my spot and began to read. It was quite a sappy romance novel about a guy helping this woman out of a tight spot and being her escort for a wedding, which snowballs into the two of them falling madly in love with each other. From beside me I could have sworn that I heard Theodore murmur something about 'the Yule Ball' though I wasn't sure.

"Excuse me, but, um, what did you say?" I asked as I turned to look at him again.

"I said," he cleared his throat and turned in his seat to look at me, "will you go to the Yule Ball with me?" His cheeks flushed a light pink.

"Really?" I asked doubtfully.

"Yeah, I mean I've been watching you and nobody has asked you yet, at least not that I know of, which really is a shame," he said all in one breath.

"I'd love to, Theodore." I smiled at him.

"It's Theo," he said, giving me a smile back before standing up and heading to the boys dormitory.

I couldn't help but keep grinning even after he was gone. Now I knew why the other girls were talking about this non stop, because the feeling from getting asked was this huge high that you couldn't help but be giddy. Realization settled in, however, that the ball was only a few days away and I didn't have a dress for it. Quickly, I ran up to my room and grabbed a quill and parchment and scribbled out a quick and sloppy note to home asking my mum to send me a dress for the ball. Then I jogged to the owlery.

Heads turned to look at me as I passed them and I nearly ran into one of the red haired Weasley twins, I never could tell which one was which. When I got to the owlery I attached the letter to the first barn owl that approached me and sent it off towards home. Now all I had to do was wait.

Waiting was the hard part. I was so excited that I had actually been asked to the ball that I just wanted to shout it out to everyone, even Pansy; well maybe especially Pansy. She kept shooting me weird looks all the next day and I tried not to blurt it out to her but it was hard not to. My dress didn't come in the mail until the day before the ball but it was absolutely perfect. It was a light blue spaghetti strap dress and the bottom was slightly higher up on the right side then the left. The color of the dress was a nice compliment to my blue eyes and blonde hair.

That next day I was a fit of nerves waiting for the time when I could finally start getting ready for the ball. Theo and I hadn't really talked since he had asked me to the ball but from time to time I would catch him shooting glances at me and it made me feel special. At one point in time during the day he had accidently bumped into me and whispered in my ear that he "can't wait for our date tonight." It was a rather giddy and exciting feeling that I had as I began to get ready for the ball that night. I felt almost like I was floating on air. This was going to be my first date, though I wasn't actually sure if this qualified as a date. I mean did him asking me to the Yule Ball mean that we were dating, or were we just going as friends? Then again were we even friends really? I was so confused by what us going together actually meant, if it meant anything, but I didn't let that get in my way of getting ready.

I didn't waste a whole lot of time preparing for the ball and I was done before any of the other girls in my dorm room, though that didn't surprise me since I was talking about Pansy and her friends. They were all surprised when I began getting ready with them, but of course they all thought that I was just putting on a show and that I really hadn't been asked to go. I couldn't wait to see the looks on their faces when I walk over to Theo and he wraps his arm around me; they were all going to be so jealous.

Finally after watching Pansy and her followers: Millicent Bulstrode, Daphne Greengrass, and Daphne's younger sister Astoria Greengrass- who was just there to help and admire and do their hair- it was time for me to go downstairs and join Theo. Butterflies were wreaking havoc in my stomach and with every step I took the feeling only increased. There were a few guys at the bottom of the staircase waiting for their dates but I didn't see Theo among them nor was he over by the fireplace waiting on the couch. Heat rose up to my cheeks at the thought that I had been stood up or that this had all been a joke. My head dropped down out of humiliation and I began to turn around to go back up to my room when a hand shot out and grabbed my wrist.

I turned around, raised my head up, and stared straight into Theo's brown eyes. He was a few inches taller then me, so standing on the second to last step allowed me to look straight at him and be roughly the same height. Seeing him and knowing that he hadn't stood me up perked me up instantly. We walked hand in hand up to the Great Hall where the Yule Ball would be held. When we got there, there were already many couples milling around waiting for the teachers to open the doors and allow them in. I recognized most of the couples standing there as it seemed most of them were from their fourth or fifth year; though there were some from sixth and seventh year as well.

Theo still hadn't let go of my hand yet, which made me smile and do a triumphant happy dance on the inside. I was looking around at all the new couples that had joined us in the lobby when I saw that handsome Diggory boy from Hufflepuff with his date Cho Chang, who was in my year and was in charms with me. The Diggory boy was a complete gentleman towards Cho, leading her around with his hand on her lower back. He was positively beaming at everyone, and she had the jealousy of every girl.

I felt a slight tug on my arm as Theo began to lead me towards the doors which had just opened for all non-champion couples. There was already a little line forming to get inside the Great Hall and I imagined it would take a few minutes before Theo and I were able to get inside the doors. Standing there with him was really exciting. I had hoped that I would be asked to go to the Yule Ball but I had never actually imagined that it would happen. Once we reached the doors we were stopped by Professor McGonagall.

"Ah, Mr. Nott, Miss Davis, welcome." Professor McGonagall said to us as we reached her, waiting to be let in. She gestured her hand towards the Great Hall allowing us to go past her.

I was in awe when I finally got a glimpse of all of the decorations. The professors had done such a wonderful job decorating, though I was sure that magic had played more of a role then anything else. The theme was pretty obvious for the time of year: winter wonderland. Everywhere I looked there was blue and silver, including the floor, the walls, and the ceiling. They had even brought in Christmas trees which had snow coating all of the branches. There were also icicles hanging from the ceiling along with snow falling down and disappearing just before it would land on someone. Even though the trees and falling snow were pretty normal for Hogwarts decorations, seeing them like this made them seem that much more beautiful. There were tables set up with silvery-blue table cloths, and depending on the lighting they either looked silver or blue.

We got past all the tables and made our way over to the left side of the dance floor to wait for the champions' first dance before we could all join in. The noise was pretty loud from everyone talking while they waited for the announcement of the champions entering. I looked up at Theo, hoping to strike up a conversation with him, only to find him already looking down at me. My heart seemed to do a little skip when he grinned at me.

"You look beautiful tonight." He smiled at me.

I blushed. "Thank you. You look pretty great yourself."

At that moment the announcement was made that it was time for the champions to enter the Great Hall and for the Yule Ball to start. I stood on tip toes trying to catch a glimpse of them as the couples walked past me. The most surprising couple for everyone, me included, was the Gryffindor good girl, Hermione Granger, with Viktor Krum, the champion from Durmstrang. The champions took their positions on the floor and the music began. We all stood and watched the couples dance across the floor until Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall made their way onto the floor as well, allowing for everyone else to join the dance.

Theo led me out to the floor and wrapped his arms around me as we had been taught to do and began the dance. I had enjoyed myself during that one dance more then I had in any of the years previous and was rather sad when the song ended and he took his hands off of my waist. Only a few couples made their way to the tables after the first song was done but Theo and I stayed out on the floor as the orchestra switched over to The Weird Sisters. It was exhilarating standing there with him while we waited for The Weird Sisters to begin. I felt so alive and free being there with him, with someone who actually noticed me for me.

A cheer went up from everyone as The Weird Sisters started playing. Theo grabbed me by the waist again and led me in the dance. After dancing to ten songs straight we decided to take a quick break, get a drink, and sit at a table. He pulled out my chair for me at the table and went and got a drink for each of us. As I sat there waiting for him to return with our drinks I looked around the room at all of the other couples still out on the dance floor and the few that were sitting at tables like me. I was surprised to see one of the Hogwarts champions, Harry Potter, his friend Ron Weasley, and their dates- the Patil twins. I wasn't sure which twin was which but they both looked extremely bored and disgusted with their dates; my guess was that they haven't gotten to dance yet besides the opening song that everyone was required to dance to.

I heard a noise from beside me and turned to see Theo standing there with a glass in each hand. He handed me my glass and sat down in the seat next to me. As I sat there sipping on my punch I thought about how I hadn't really noticed him before he had asked me to the ball and now he was all I could think about. I wasn't sure exactly what he wanted with me but I hoped that he had been thinking about me as well. Next to me Theo stood up and held his hand out for me to take. I placed my hand in his and stood up expecting to be brought out to the dance floor once again, only to be pulled in the opposite direction. He looked back at me as we passed through the Great Hall doors and I shot him a questioning look.

"You'll see," he responded.

I sighed and continued to be pulled along behind him, wondering where exactly he was taking me, and was surprised when we turned to go upstairs rather then down to go back to our common room. He led me up many flights of stairs only to stop at the entrance of the Astronomy Tower. I wasn't sure what exactly we were doing there but many ideas went through my head as we climbed up the ladder. The view from the Tower was amazing! It was dark out so all the stars were shining brightly against the sky and I could just barely make out the ripples in the lake as the giant squid lashed out his tentacles. I turned away from the breathtaking view in front of me and faced Theo, who was already looking at me with a big grin on his face.

"What?" I said, grinning just as big at him and shaking my head.

"Nothing, it's just the way your eyes lit up as soon as you got out here, it was just," he paused for a second as he stared at me, "beautiful."

I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks when he said that. I reached out my hand and grabbed a hold of his as I stared back in his eyes. This was a moment I was never going to forget. Standing up here on the Astronomy Tower with Theo, I couldn't imagine how this night could get better, until it did. Slowly Theo closed the space between us and placed his other hand on my waist. His face came closer to mine and when his lips finally touched mine for the briefest of moments, I knew that no matter what happened no one would ever be able to take this moment from me.

AN: Thank you very much to ToujoursPadfoot from HPFF for being my beta for this one-shot! I hope you enjoyed my take on the yule ball for two minor characters! Please leave a review and let me know what you think!


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